SELENICEREUSanthonyanus

Family

Cactaceae

Botanical Name

SELENICEREUSanthonyanus

Plant Common Name

Fishbone Cactus, Ric Rac Orchid Cactus

Special Notice

This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.

General Description

When not in flower, the ric rac orchid cactus looks like a mop of green saw blades. This evergreen perennial succulent is native to the Mexican state of Chiapas, which abuts Guatemala. It is an epiphyte, growing on other plants, such as attached to tree limbs and trunk bark.

In order to conserve moisture, the ric rac orchid cactus lacks leaves. Instead, the flattened stems are bright green and photosynthesize light. The stem is leathery and thick with large leaf-like lobes or teeth. Each stem resembles the nose of a sawtooth shark. Areoles - the bumps from which spines arise - have two to four light brown spines. This succulent's stems trail, flop or hang from where aerial roots attach and anchor on the supporting plant.

In summer's warmth, mature ric rac orchid cactus produces its trumpet-like flowers. Buds arise directly on the stems, usually in the sinuses among the tooth-like lobes. The pale yellow and creamy white flowers are fragrant and are surrounded by deep reddish-rose segments. Moths pollinate these nighttime flowers, leading to formation of small scaled and spined fruits.

The ric rac orchid cactus needs very bright but mostly indirect light, ideally shielded from intense midday sun rays. Dappled light and partial shade prove best. Too much intense sunlight causes stems to become yellow-green. A plant may be wedged into tree limb crotches or hanging baskets. Alternatively, grow it so the aerial roots clasp into a mix of organic matter and sandy grit in containers. Water and fertilize freely from spring to fall but stop fertilizing and reduce watering drastically across the winter. Protect plants from frost whether indoors or out.